Guitars and other musical instruments are commonly equipped with strap buttons, sometimes called end pins, that are used to attach straps for holding the instrument in position while playing it. Many types of instruments can use strap buttons, however, they are particularly prevalent in string instruments that are suspended by a strap in front of the player of the instrument (hereinafter “player” or “user”). The strap generally attaches to a first strap button, extends upward around the back of a player's neck and then attaches to a second strap button. With both ends of the strap fixed to a strap button, the height of the instrument relative to a player's neck can be adjusted by lengthening or shortening the strap.
Strap buttons are generally fixed on or near the body of a guitar or other stringed instrument to provide mounting points for attaching a strap. Common locations for strap buttons on guitars include, but are not limited to, the area near or on the neck joint, the horn and the bottom of the guitar, the bottom of the guitar being the end facing downward when the neck is pointing upward. Strap buttons are generally about one half of an inch in diameter near its top, where the top of the strap button is the end furthest from the instrument's body. Between the top of a strap button and its base, the end fixed to a guitar's body, is a circumferential groove that holds a strap end (hereinafter “strap end” or “end of a strap”). The point where the circumferential groove is at its smallest diameter is also referred to herein as the “narrow portion” or “narrow middle portion” of a strap button.
The dimensions and shape of strap buttons can vary considerably among the various manufacturers and product lines. The height of the strap button, diameter of the top and diameter of the circumferential groove can vary, making it difficult for a single style of strap end to fit all strap buttons. To accommodate the variations in strap buttons, conventional straps use a leather end configured to accept most strap buttons. The leather end usually has a hole that is approximately the same diameter as the circumferential groove on most strap buttons and a cut portion extending away from the center of the hole in the radial direction. The cut portion allows the opening in the strap end to fit over the top of the strap button.
The use of leather strap ends, however, does not come without its drawbacks. The strap can accidently pull off the button, causing a valuable guitar to fall and incur damage. Wear of the leather makes the strap more likely to come off the strap button unexpectedly. Even when new, the strap end can slip off the strap button when the instrument is being played or moved.
Various systems for fixing the ends of straps to guitars have been developed, generally called strap locks, but they are all cumbersome to install and use. Existing strap locks that provide a more secure attachment than a traditional leather strap end require specialized strap buttons and are not easily attached or removed with one hand. The use of a specialized strap button requires the use of tools to install and once installed, it prevents a player from swapping between straps designed to mate with the specialized strap button and straps with traditional leather strap ends. In addition, the strap locks of the prior art require the use of tools to attach a locking mechanism to a traditional leather strap end. Even when attached with tools, hardware attached to leather can loosen over time as the leather dries, causing the locking mechanism to separate from the strap end.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for securely attaching a strap end to a strap button. It is a further object of the invention to provide a locking strap mechanism that is easy to install and remove with a single hand and that can be installed without the use of tools. Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a locking strap mechanism that installs with an automatically latching component, without a user needing to manipulate a lever, knob, fastener, etc.